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Tag: Obasanjo

  • Obasanjo dismisses calls for division

    Obasanjo dismisses calls for division

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Kano dismissed calls by those advocating for the division of Nigeria, advising them to expunge such mindset.

    Obasanjo, who visited Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the Government House to commiserate with the people of Kano over the demise of Maitama Sule, called on those clamouring for the country’s division to dismiss such notions in their minds and conscience.

    According to him, Nigeria is a land of prosperity, where Nigerians must continue to learn from each other, live in peace and be their brothers’ keeper.

    Obasanjo, who insisted that Nigeria is a country where everyone is a stakeholder, said the thought of a divisible Nigeria should disappear from the minds of those leading such a campaign.

    The former President, who extolled the virtues of the late Dan Masanin, said Nigerians need to learn from his experience, wisdom and what he believed and preached, which he said would continue to pass to the next generation.

    However, he described the later Maitama Sule as a patriotic Nigerian, whose shoes would be difficult to fill, since”majority of his contemporaries are no more”.

  • Gowon, Obasanjo warn against repeat of 1966 violence

    Gowon, Obasanjo warn against repeat of 1966 violence

    •’Why I retired military officers who held public office’

    Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday warned Nigerians to avoid the repeat of the 1966 coup and the tragedies that followed.

    The two elderstatesmen sounded the warning at the launch of the biography of the late Brig. Zakariya Maimalari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

    The book was authored by Haruna Yahaya Poloma with the title: “The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari”.It was reviewed by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd).

    The book presentation was attended by eminent Nigerians and serving military officers among whom was the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    Maimalari was among top military officers killed during the nation’s first military coup on January 15, 1966.

    Obasanjo, who gave reasons for some of the decisions taken by his government in his second coming as civilian president in 1999, said the topmost lesson for Nigerians to learn from unfolding events was that the nation has had enough of tragedies.

    He said he decided to retire Maimalari’s son, who was the then Military Administrator of Jigawa State for certain reasons.

    Obasanjo said: “What lesson can we learn? The lesson we can learn is that we have had enough tragedies in this country.”

    “I have no apology, but I have explanation. It’s because it’s necessary to stop this sort of things that took the life of your father prematurely, that we had to take the decision that all those who have tasted power that they should never have tasted, that we should ease them out of the Army, so that we can have an Army that is free from political aberration.

    “So far, since 1999, it seems that we have got it right. Let us hope that we continue to get it right and learn that Nigeria has had enough of bloodshed, enough of sacrifices by those victims, that Nigeria deserves peace, unity and progress,” Obasanjo asserted.

    Gowon said: “Several of our institutions have been poisoned mostly by the virus of corruption. Our people are in pain and require deliverance. But the rot is not all round.”

    Gowon stated that Maimalarienjoyed steady professional advance and was favourably mentioned as one of the likely successors to ultimate authority on the departure of the colonial masters.

    “Many things happened and many things failed to happen. He (Maimalari) was denied the ultimate prize and this denial produced widespread consternation.

    “No one less deserved the sort of death visited on Brigadier Maimalari. I have sometimes wondered just what might have been had he survived the mutiny of that night.

    “To my mind, Maimalari would perhaps have used his huge influence to re-establish civic order and governance. Perhaps in which case, there might not have been any further killings.

    “Perhaps, maybe in the absence of the killings, the violence which became part of our nation’s vernacular would have been absent.

    “Perhaps, there would have been no Biafra, no Ojukwu, no Gowon as we know them; no war and our democratic governments would have grown in stature as vehicles of popular service.”

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said: Often, the Nigerian landscape has been disfigured by appalling examples of poor leadership and bad governance.

    “So dominant has this been that our youth can be misled into feeling that there is a total absence of idealism and heroism in our society.

    “Yet, nothing can be further from the truth. In our past and in our present, we can find exceptional examples of selfless service and notable deeds with which we can inspire in our youth.”

    Osinbajo said: “The example of Maimalari, particularly, his growth from humble beginnings, through diligence and hard work, to the dizzy heights of public service success is worth sharing. History can thus be a useful tool in the propagation of good examples.

    “History as a subject in our schools has become fairly infamous, with students often feeling that the subject has no practical value.

    “Yet, without a grounding in history, how do we know we who we are, where we come from, and more importantly, as a people, where we are going to?

    “As a government, we have been concerned with the decline in the study of history and this has seen us recover history from the place where it has been ignored for too long and placed it back firmly in school curriculum.”

    Also, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai paid glowing tributes to Maimalari and hailed the efforts of the book’s author for the documentation of events in the past.

  • Obasanjo made PDP in Southwest but tore its card, says Aregbesola

    Obasanjo made PDP in Southwest but tore its card, says Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost its relevance in the Southwest, following the tearing of its membership card by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The governor noted that the ex-President brought the party to the region and made it relevant.

    He warned the opposition against importing into Osun State hoodlums and mercenaries who may cause mayhem during Saturday’s Osun West senatorial by-election.

    Aregbesola spoke at the campaign for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Mudashir Hussain, at Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area.

    The governor, who earlier visited the Akire of Ikire, Oba Olatunde Falabi, said the emergence of APC at the Federal level had ended PDP’s reign in the country.

    He said PDP’s era had gone in Nigeria, particularly in the Southwest, as many of the party’s founding fathers had dumped it.

    Aregbesola said: “Why would any sensible politician at this time want to associate with a party that is not only drowning but dead in the Southwest?

    “It will be an exercise in futility for anybody to now want to wake up a dead horse through the July 8 Osun West senatorial by-election when founding fathers of the party have not only deserted the party but wouldn’t want to associate with it.

    “We are all living witnesses to how the former President (Obasanjo) openly at his ward declared that the PDP had gone beyond redemption, hence his declaration of the obituary of the party with symbolic trashing of his membership card.”

     

    The governor warned troublemakers, especially the opposition nursing the idea of unleashing militants on the people during the July 8 by-election, to jettison the plan.

    He said: “Why will anybody think that the people of Osun, who stood firm even in the face of provocation during the last general election under the supervision of the PDP-led government then, would now waver from such determination?

    “It is on record that despite the intimidation by the then security apparatus, who invaded the state with weird-looking officers with strange-looking dogs, could not deter our people from associating with our good governance? Why will they be deterred by militants?

    “We use this medium to warn any militant, who the opposition has contracted, to think twice before coming to Osun. The government is ever ready to use every lawful means at its disposal to smoke them out of the state.”

     

     

     

  • Obasanjo calls for common currency in ECOWAS

    Obasanjo calls for common currency in ECOWAS

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday called on leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to agree on common currency to boost the regional trade.

    Obasanjo made call at the ongoing 24th Annual General Meeting of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Kigali, Rwanda.

    He spoke on: “Can Regional Economic Communities Work for Africa: Lessons from a Founding Father.”

    He said the issue of common currency was getting delayed because the regional leaders had put forward “ECO” as a name for the currency but wondered why it had not been adopted.

    According to him, the currency is required to move the current level of regional trade from 25 per cent to more than 50 per cent.

    He said the various currency zones like the Naira zone and the Cedi zone, among others should not be allowed to mitigate the flow of trade within the region.

    He blamed too many internal conflicts and changes in policies, among others, as some of the challenges facing the region.

    Obasanjo, however, lauded ECOWAS countries for their ability to resolve the issues on their own, adding that ECOWAS on its own had resolved conflicts in Liberia, Sierria Leone and The Gambia.

    He said in the case of Gambia, ECOWAS leaders agreed that a military option should be adopted but without firing a bullet.

    “I was sure the ousted president Yahya Jammeh will leave but when he started delaying ECOWAS leaders met. It was agreed a military option should be adopted.

    “The tactics worked and when the countries leaders were saying the ousted president Yahya Jammeh had left the country with huge sums of money. I told them to allow him go with the money so far he allows the country to remain in peace,” he said.

    He said the region had been most democratic region going by free and fair elections conducted in the countries.

    NAN

  • 2019: Obasanjo, Osoba, Amosun and Ogun West politics

    2019: Obasanjo, Osoba, Amosun and Ogun West politics

    THE itch to set some records straight with regards to some aspects of politics in Ogun West Senatorial District in relation to the two other districts has become so pertinent at this point in time that some of us who witnessed what transpired in Ogun State between 1999 and 2003 close-up, must speak up if only to correct some falsehoods circulating in the mainstream and the social media.

    In 1998, during the run -off to the formation and registration of political parties, a secret meeting took place in the house of late Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, of blessed memory, where it was agreed that Otegbeye must do all in his power to mend fences with erstwhile friends and even political foes who contributed to abort his attempt to become the governor of Ogun State during the two party system of Ibrahim Babangida, the former military ruler. He agreed and late Chief Bola Ige of blessed memory helped in no small way to smoothen the pathway for him in the East Senatorial District. Suffice to say, Otegbeye was also a major contributor to the formation of All Peoples Party (APP) and later-on the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    By the start of party politics in 1999, it was agreed by Alliance for Democracy (AD) that a consensus candidate will be fielded by the party and therefore, there will not be primaries. A deal was struck by the West and the East Senatorial Districts to allow Ogun West to produce the candidate. Contrary to what was peddled by history ‘distortionists’, Ogun West produced only one candidate in the person of Dr. Ayinde Ibikunle.

    Meanwhile, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye and other leaders in the West met with the Central Senatorial Districts to cement a deal but a quorum could not be effected. It was then decided that a meeting that should decide which district should provide the candidate should take place at Aiyepe in Ogun East Senatorial District, since we knew then that Chief Olusegun Osoba from Ogun Central and Dr. Ayinde Ibikunle from the West were the main contenders.

    Chief Gbenga Kaka chaired the meeting on that fateful day at Aiyepe, and when it got to the moment of voting, some thugs led by one ‘Serubawon’ from Abeokuta disrupted the meeting, pushing delegates off their chairs and people scampered for their lives. The leaders eventually met and fixed another meeting for the following week. The news was all over the place and all opinion leaders like Prof. Wole Shoyinka and other human right activists vowed to attend the next meeting. But it was not to be because two days to the meeting, the then leaders of AD, led by Chief Abraham Adesanya, announced the name of Chief Olusegun Osoba as the consensus candidate for AD. All threats to leave the party or court action were placated on the plate that Osoba will hand over to a person chosen by the people of Ogun West in 2003. It was also agreed that Osoba should make the hand-over deal his swansong in his Ogun West campaign, and so he did on tape.

    However, come 2003, Osoba decided he was going to run for another term saying that his first coming was truncated by the military, therefore he needed to complete it. At that point, delegates were sent from Ogun West to remind him of his promise to both Ogun East and Ogun West Senatorial districts. But all plea yielded no result. I remembered vividly a delegation was led on behalf of Mr. Yaya Ahmed to his office when in perfecting his agenda, he removed Mr. Ahmed’s name for House of Representative for a person from Osun State, Mr. Babatunde. At that point, all the progressive leaders of Ogun West, led by Dr. Tunj Otegbeye, decided to fight Osoba once and for all. That was how ‘AD Authentic’ and ‘AD Osoba’ was formed with one backing Maman Yusuf and the other backing Abdul Kadri Ahmed factions of the party.

    The term ‘Yewa for Governor’ or ‘Yewa Lokan’ was coined and built as a platform to vent the grievance of Yewa and when Chief Osoba insisted that no other candidate must emerge from AD in Ogun State, the Yewa leaders felt that the marginalization protests in the media will die a natural death unless a candidate emerged in AD to represent Yewa interest. At that time, all potential candidates from Ogun West went underground, believing that no one could face the incumbent and succeed and that if the struggle was not about wining then it will be a waste of scarce resources. But a quiet Yewa man in the person of Engr, Femi Tetede who had all the while been sponsoring various activities in the agitation and who was earlier on forcefully retired by the maximum ruler, Gen. Abacha(deceased) for a perceived link with NADECO and his closeness with General Akinrinade was asked to run inside AD and he agreed.

    Meanwhile, the PDP watched the drama with keen interest and decided to field a Yewa candidate. It is on record that Senator Kola Bajomo was highly favored by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the incumbent President of Nigeria at that time. He was invited to run as a PDP candidate. He was even offered the Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC) at a meeting attended by Yewa leaders in Akinola Aguda House Abuja. It has never been disclosed why Senator Bajomo declined the offer later on, but it was rumored that after getting to Abeokuta, Chief Osoba promised to hand over Oke Mosan to him in 2007. With his candidature biting the dust, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo must have been very disappointed with Yewa people and since he was running in a fourth- coming election as well, he was said to have been prevailed upon by the PDP in Ogun State to go for a strong man that can demystify Chief Osoba. After all, he had tried to install another Yewa man, Dr. Afonja as the Administrator of Ogun State when he was the Military President, and the gesture was equally turned down.

    Round about the same time, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Chief Dele Arojo and others emerged as aspirants in the PDP. Meanwhile, in AD, the factional Chairman of the ‘Authentic AD’ Chief Tayo Sowunmi, was an Egbaman, a very strong believer in justice and equity, and at a time the Student Union President of UNILAG, who led student’s takeover of Radio Nigeria. He was a staunch believer in Yewa for Governor at that time. He was making big waves confronting Chief Osoba at the national and state levels, in the print and the electronic media. And by the fact that the INEC and all security agencies in Nigeria recognized Alhaji Abdul Kadri Ahmed as the National Chairman of the party, the faction led by Chief Tayo Sowunmi became the recognized party Chairman in Ogun State as well. This boosted the splitting of AD into two in all the local government areas of Ogun State and made Chief Osoba panicked and began to pander back to the faction led by Alhaji  Abdulkadri.

    It is interesting to note that as the election was moving closer to the primaries, all the leadership of PDP in Ogun West met at Ajilete Resort and unanimously endorsed Chief Dele Arojo.  The word was that they were going to cast a block vote at the primaries and requires some votes from the Central and the East to win the race.

    At this point, Chief Osoba had made an in-road into the National Working Committee of the AD and had met the demands of all the 36 State Chairmen. This obviously, Engr. Tetede and Chief Tayo Sowunmi who had ran the party in Ogun State for more than two years on their own purse, could not meet. That gave the way for the party’s NEC to insist that only the incumbent governor can confront the federal might and from then on it was fait accompli for Qgun West in the AD.

    However, when the news got out that Ogun West PDP had unanimously endorsed Chief Ayodele Arojo, a secret meeting was held between the Tetede for Governor Group and late Chief Dele Arojo, brokered by late Chief  Olalekan Ojo, ostensibly to back Arojo in the general election so the party structure of ‘Authentic AD’ was being maintained for that purpose alone. Then one dark day at Egbeda and four houses from Engr, Tetede’s office, Chief Arojo was gunned down in cold blood.

    Now, several meetings and ‘horse trading’, began when Chief Gbenga Daniel eventually emerged as the PDP candidate between leaders of Ogun West PDP and Engr. Tetede.  One interesting meeting that l still remembered vividly was one held at Senator Ibikunle Amosuns house at about 1.35am one and half week to the governorship election. Senator Amosun had won his own election, but it was close. The thinking then was that with the ‘AD’ Authentic intact, their swing in the governorship election could be decisive. So, a meeting was held inside the Abeokuta GRA house of Senator ‘elect,’ Amosu.

    At that meeting, we insisted that Chief Gbenga Daniel must sign a document for us stating the basis of our agreement with us and what he would do for the group as a party. The negotiation went into stalemate and we decided to leave. Senator Ibikunle Amosun briskly walked to the gate as we were leaving and pleaded with us to come back. I told him point blank that some of our people know him very well and that was why we were in his house, but none of our people knew Chief Daniel. I said further that if Chief Daniel becomes the governor, even he (Senator Amosun) would not be able to have his way with him. He laughed and we predicted six months before their romance become stale.

    I am not surprised that Senator Ibikunle Amosun ran for the governor in 2007 and l am not surprised that he is today championing the cause of Ogun West.

    In conclusion, it is important that all stakeholders stop stigmatizing Ogun West as being jinxed as in the number of candidates she puts up. History tells me that every district presents many candidates before the primaries, so Ogun West should not be cowed by such talks.

    Also, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had done so much to help Ogun West become the governor of the state both in terms of direct support and appointments. The very recent one was that of Adetunji Olurin. Not many are aware of the huge amount of money given and efforts made by the old man to actualize the dream. To read in some social media that OBJ derailed the campaign of Olurin is not only mischievous and wicked, it is downright insane. If anybody was to blame, ask Mrs. Patience Jonathan, Gboyega Isiaka and the leader of the team, Chief Gbenga Daniel.

    Hence, all hands must be on deck by all men of goodwill in Ogun state to allow justice and equity to prevail as it did with power shift in Nigeria in 1999 by allowing a qualified and competent Yewa man to occupy the exalted post of the state governor in 2019 as of right not privilege.

    By so doing, all the three major parts of the state would have had an opportunity to offer credible leadership to our dear state.

    • Olurin, an activist and public affairs analyst wrote in from Ilaro…olusegunolurin365@gmail.com

  • Obasanjo, Gana, others celebrate Badejo at 70

    Friends, well-wishers and Christian leaders gathered last weekend to celebrate the immediate past General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Rev Wilson Badejo, who clocked 70.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the occasion, described the septuagenarian as a “good man” who performed well in all his endeavors.

    “As a farmer, he performed well. As a pastor he did the same, he is also a good family man,” Obasanjo said.

    The former president recounted his years of friendship with the Ogun- born farmer- cum pastor, saying “I learnt a lot from Dr. Badejo. When I left office as an unwanted Head of State, I needed something to do and all the lessons I got from him about the farming business were put into practice.”

    He also declared that the celebrator was the one praying for his release while in jail.

    Convener of Save Nigeria Group(SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare, who was the guest speaker, described Badejo as “a man of many parts” who has lived a “purposeful life.”

    He described him as a mentor with whom he has had a great relationship over the years, recalling how Badejo commissioned his church, Latter Rain Assembly years ago.

    Former Minister for Information, Prof Jerry Gana who was chief launcher for Wilson Badejo’s book My spiritual odyssey described him as a man of honor who speaks the truth at all times.

     

  • Obasanjo warns of looming youth anger

    Obasanjo warns of looming youth anger

    •Ex-president: don’t wish us dead because you still need us

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is worried about the anger and frustration of youths.

    He said if the youth’s anger is not well-managed, it could lead to an “explosion”.

    Obasanjo spoke yesterday at the Youth Governance Dialogue organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    He lamented that youths were not getting the required help.

    The former president noted that while his generation had “limitless opportunities but no facilities” in their time, the youth of today “have facilities but little or no opportunities”.

    He cited the insurgency in the Northeast, the separatist agitators in the Southeast and militancy in the Niger Delta region as manifestations of anger and frustrations from disillusioned youths.Obasanjo warned that should anger of youths erupt, there might be no limit to the extent it could spread.

    He appealed to the youth to work hard to help themselves and be ready to pay the price for the right cause they believe.

    But he said despite all odds, the youth still remained his greatest hope for Nigeria.

    Obasanjo noted that when he left secondary school, he received letters of appointments from five establishments and wondered whether any Nigerian university graduate could have such opportunities today.

    He pleaded with the nation’s youth  not to wish  the  elders dead, saying they need the elders as mentors and advisers in their journey of life.

    “Don’t wish us dead; don’t wish us to disappear because you will need us. You need us as mentors and advisers to mentor and prepare you for the future. You need the experience and assistance of some of us to guide you through life.

    “You should not lose hope, you should not feel frustrated. Whenever I go, they always ask me what is my fear about Nigeria and Africa. And I said my greatest fear is youth anger, frustrations and youth explosion, which have no bound.

    “We have the Boko Haram in the North, the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the Southeast, the militants in the Niger Delta and the Oodua Peoples Congress in the Southwest. All of these are expression of anger and frustrations.

    “We have what it takes to be great as a nation and we can’t transform this country without the youth. My greatest hope in this country is also the youth. You the youth should work to help yourselves. You must be ready to pay the price for what you stand for,” Obasanjo said.

    The lead speaker and former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka who  spoke on the theme: “Towards a Guiding Political Philosophy for a Democratic Nigeria,” advised that the nation’s leaders should  build a society that harness human and material resources effectively, provide equal opportunities and develop capacity for innovation.

    Chidoka proposed a new charter for the country, saying the charter should contain reasons for the country’s unity, and which guarantees the basic rights, privileges and obligations of citizens.

    “Our national aspirations should inspire the next generation and provide them with the existential meaning of Nigeria; a meaning that transcends geography, natural resources and ethnicity. To grow Nigeria, we must build a society that harness human resources, provides equal opportunities and develop capacity for innovation.

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who spoke on the topic:”Preparing Successor Generation for Effective Participation in Governance”, urged leaders to put structure in place for the youth to advance to position of leadership.

    “We cannot keep calling them the leaders of tomorrow without ensuring that we put in place deliberate measures that will aid their quest for public service.

    “Sometimes candour and youthful excitement can cause as much harm as the most venal form of corruption.

    “We have to find the means to reduce unemployment. There is no doubt that the current diversification policy of President Buhari government will eventually provide broader opportunities for self-employment,” Tambuwal said.

     

  • Obasanjo to youths: Don’t wish us dead, you still need our mentoring

    Obasanjo to youths: Don’t wish us dead, you still need our mentoring

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday pleaded with the nation’s youth not to wish elders in the country “dead”, saying they need them as “mentors” and “advisers” in their journey of life.

    Obasanjo who stated that his “greatest fear about Nigeria” today remained the “anger and frustration of the youths,” said if not managed, it could lead to “youth explosion.”

    He lamented that Nigerian youths are not getting help either from the government or anybody.

    The Ebora Owu who spoke during the Youth Governance Dialogue organized by the Youth Development Centre arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said while his generation had “limitless opportunities but no facilities” in their time, the youth of today have facilities but little or no opportunities.

    He cited the insurgency in the North East, the separatist agitators in the South East and militancy in the Niger Delta region as manifestations of anger and frustrations from disillusioned youths, warning that should youth explosion erupts, there may be no limit to the extent it can spread.

    He appealed to them to work hard to help themselves and be ready to pay the price for the right cause they believe, saying in spite of all odds, the youth still remained his greatest hope for Nigeria.

    Obasanjo noted that when he left secondary school, he received letters of appointments from five establishments and wondered whether any Nigerian university graduate could have such opportunities today.

    “Don’t wish us dead, don’t wish us to disappear because you will need us. You need us mentors and advisers to mentor and prepare you for the future. You need our experience and assistance of some of us to guide you through life.

    “You should not lose hope, you should not feel frustrated. Whenever I go, they always ask me what is my fear about Nigeria and Africa. And I said my greatest fear is youth anger, frustrations and youth explosion which have no bound.

    “We have the Boko haram in the north, the MASSOB and IPOB in the South East, the militants in the Niger Delta and the Oodua Peoples Congress in the Southwest. All of these are expression of anger and frustrations.

    “We have what it takes to be great as a nation and we can’t transform this country without the youths. My greatest hope in this country is also the youth. You the youth should work to help yourselves. You must be ready to pay the price for what you stand for,” Obasanjo said.

    The lead speaker at the occasion and former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka while speaking on the theme “Towards a Guiding Political Philosophy for a Democratic Nigeria,” advised that the nation’s leaders should build a society that harness human and material resources effectively, provide equal opportunities and develop capacity for innovation.

    Chidoka also proposed a new Charter for the country, saying the Charter should contain reasons for the country’s unity, and which guarantees the basic rights, privileges and obligations of citizens.

    “Our national aspirations should inspire the next generation and provide them with the existential meaning of Nigeria. A meaning that transcends geography, natural resources and ethnicity.

    “Our political parties can then build their ideologies around the strategies for the achieving our national goals,” he said.

    Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal also attended the conference.

  • Obasanjo, Osinbajo to speak on 50 years after Biafra

    Obasanjo, Osinbajo to speak on 50 years after Biafra

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo,  Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and seven other leaders  will on Thursday speak at a conference on the Memory and Nation Building – Biafra: 50 Years After.
    At the one-day conference, which  will hold at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja by 9am, Osinbajo is expected to deliver a keynote address.
    A statementby the Yar’Adua Foundationlisted other speakers as a former Permanent Secretary Information, Education & Industry, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, President General, OhanaezeNdigbo Chief John NniaNwodo and Professor John Stremlau of the University of Witwatersrand will serve as lead speakers. ChudiOffodile and Nkoyo Toyo will chair panel discussions and Professor Pat Utomi will serve as the conference moderator.
    The statementsaid: “The 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Biafra in 1967 offers an opportunity for sober reflection on a number of issues including lessons learned that may be useful in dealing with contemporary challenges confronting Nigeria.
    A Cultural Night will feature performance poetry and a screening of Afia Attack – the untold “survival stories of women during the civil war.”

    The foundation was established inhonourof the legacy of one of Nigeria’s foremost leaders.

  • Borisade had gift of innovative thinking, says Obasanjo

    Borisade had gift of innovative thinking, says Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the late Professor Babalola Borisade as a man of innovative thinking.

    Obasanjo, in a letter of condolence to the family of the late minister, said “scholarship, diligence, foresight and intense ability to build bridges among contending forces” were attributes that first attracted Borisade to him.

    The deceased served at different times as minister of state for power and steel; aviation; culture and tourism; and education.

    “Boris, as I fondly called him, could almost read my mind on many issues,” Obasanjo said.

    “Indeed, many saw similarities in our facial structures and gait, although he was taller.

    “Energy, commitment and a calm mien are all words that capture my image of him.

    “He will be remembered by holding himself to extremely high standards in conflict resolution and balancing contending political forces and being faithful to those standards for many years of his service.”

    He prayed for the repose of Borisade’s soul and that God might grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.